


The distance between us.

by Tammiie



Category: Teen Wolf (TV), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, BAMF Bucky Barnes, BAMF Peter Parker, BAMF Stiles, Derek Hale Can Have Nice Things, Domestic Avengers, Emotionally Hurt Stiles Stilinski, F/M, Irondad, M/M, Minor Original Character(s), Not Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie) Compliant, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Not Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, Past Character Death, Peter Parker is a Little Shit, Plot Twists, Protective Bucky Barnes, Puppy Scott McCall, Rare Pairings, SHIELD Agent Stiles Stilinski, Scott McCall (Teen Wolf) is a Ray of Sunshine, Stiles Stilinski is a Little Shit, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, bucky Barnes & stiles Stiliinski friendship, he’s done with the bullshit, spiderson
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-15 12:13:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29189109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tammiie/pseuds/Tammiie
Summary: Stiles honestly really didn't know he was dating Captain America.
Relationships: Bruce Banner/Peter Parker, Chris Argent/Melissa McCall, James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark, Peter Hale/Sheriff Stilinski, Steve Rogers/Stiles Stilinski
Comments: 6
Kudos: 140





	1. Fucking superheroes

Stiles has never lacked confidence, before he started high school he was known as the weird hyper active kid of the sheriff who’s mum had gone crazy and then died, so it was a given that he needed to grow thick skin and fast otherwise he would have been miserable and filled to the brim with social anxiety. Honestly, he probably still would have been if it wasn’t for freshman year; when he and his best buddy Scott went looking for Laura Hale’s body, well half of it in the woods near his house. It is a weird thing and quite morbid to admit that searching for a dead body is what stopped him from spending his high school career as the weird loner with only one friend but nonetheless it was the truth. 

So, here’s the thing.

He is confident. In life, in himself.

Even when Scott was his only friend, he never lacked a positive self-image despite Jackson Whitmore’s (Stiles likes to refer to him as Jackass Witless) best efforts.

So, here’s the thing.

This thing he has going with Steve.

Stiles is almost 100% certain that it’s going to end sooner or later.

He doesn’t lack self-esteem, but he isn’t blind or stupid.

Steve is waaay to good for him, and he is punching extremely above his weight. Stiles is used to feeling this way within his romantic relationships and despite what people may think it’s not because he lacks confidence but his first relationship he had was with Malia and it was a complete and utter disaster, plus he is pretty sure that the first time they had sex classifies rape. It’s not that he didn’t want to sleep with Malia, but it was during the whole nogitsune episode and Stiles is foggy on the details, but he thinks the chaos demon had more to do with the encounter than he did.

Then there was Lydia.

Stiles had been in love with her since before he could even comprehend what love was and when years later, they had become friends he came to the realisation that it was nothing but an infatuation with a person that didn’t even exist. Then the ghost riders came and went and suddenly they were together, and Stiles couldn’t breathe. He’s pretty sure he had PSTD and that Lydia was clinging to him because she had lost Aiden and Allison was in coma, they were together because they thought they had to be not because they wanted to.

And his last relationship before Steve was Derek.

Derek fucking Hale.

His relationship with Derek had been building in the background since the moment they met. His attraction to the sour wolf is probably part of the reason why his relationships with both Lydia and Malia didn’t work out, he couldn’t find it in himself to 100% commit to them even now when he’s head over heels for Steve he can’t let go of Derek in the way he should. When they were together, they had been completely co-dependent to the point where it was unhealthy and affecting everyone around them, eventually they had break up otherwise it would have destroyed them at least that’s what all their friends thought. Neither Stiles or Derek were inclined to tell them truth; that before Stiles and Lydia got together, Stiles had gotten drunk and slept with Kate.

Yeah that Kate. As in Kate Argent.

The same Kate Argent that had manipulated and slept with Derek and then proceeded to burned down his home with almost all of his entire family inside and trapped.

Kate Argent. As in Allison’s aunt.

Stiles had been in a bad place. Derek didn’t like that excuse, and another one of his relationships went up in flames just like the Hale house.

So, sooner or later Steve is going to clue on to the fact that he could do so much better than Stiles. Like, _so much better._

Stiles has done the math, okay, and the fact that their relationship has lasted more than a couple of months is due to utter sheer luck. It’s doesn’t have anything to do with Stiles’ flawed self-esteem because he doesn’t have any issues within himself, but it might have to do with his trust issues, they might be a small factor. Even though Stiles wishes they weren’t he can’t help but think the worse of his romantic relationships. When they don’t explode on themselves then Stiles self-destructs hence why he was stupid enough to tell Derek about Kate but with Steve all those feelings and thoughts are amplified to catastrophic levels.

It’s just that…Steve is _nice_. Ridiculously nice and good, like help little old ladies cross the road and carry the groceries even though he’s running late nice. Give up his seat on the bus to anyone even when they’re not pregnant or disabled nice when sometimes when he’s tired Stiles pretends not to see when someone needs his seat more than him.

Steve is also Adonis levels of beautiful, all silky blond hair and piercing blue eyes with a jawline that could cut through vibranium and makes Stiles just desperate to bite and mark. All of this without even touching on how built the guy is to point he puts Derek to shame and once upon a time Stiles couldn’t even imagine someone being more in shape than him. An alpha werewolf at his prime. It’s outrageous and if Stiles didn’t already have just a slight complex from being round werewolves who liked walking around basically naked all time he would now. Stiles thinks Steve might even have more muscles than Thor. A freaking god. How that would even be possible, he is not sure.

There is also how they met to take into account where Steve risked death to save Stiles. Yeah Stiles definitely has a complex. Stiles himself wasn’t even in that great of a danger he was about to walk into a group of people carrying what he is sure was a Lifesize cake of spider-man but Steve still barely managed to avoid becoming one with the crosswalk just to save Stiles from public embarrassment. In the end Stiles was still embarrassed just nit so publicly so he likes to argue that it wasn’t even worth it, Steve always disagrees because “Then we never would have met, Stiles.”

And Stiles just melts because of course Steve would also be _so_ sweet and romantic, finding someone with as many purely good qualities as Steve, genuine goodness, it’s so rare, but it radiates out of Steve constantly, in everything he does and says. That’s not to say that he doesn’t have his bad traits, he can be kind of pig-headed at times it’s just that the good far outshine the bad to the extent that it’s hard to notice the bad.

He’s the opposite of Stiles’ usual type but not really. His ex’s tend to be on the more _selfish_ side but it’s not a surprise that Steve was his next relationship after Derek they both have that same trait makes them _selfless_ and they remind Stiles of each other so bad it’s painful which most likely is not a good sign.

Steve is _Steve_ but Stiles… is Stiles. He can’t compare. So, the last few months have been nice really, he couldn’t have asked for better, but Stiles knows that this isn’t going to last. He is just waiting for Steve to figure it out too, because every time they speak, every date they go on Stiles falls a little harder, a little deeper and he’s going to end up with his heart completely broken. He tries to break up with him quite a few times, but then Steve disarms him with one of those rare small smiles, all soft and dimpled yet slightly hesitant, like allowing himself to have this, to have _them_ , is new, different, and his entire attention is focused on Stiles and he’s completely enraptured.

Yeah. It kind of makes Stiles’ day, hell his year.

And then they kiss.

And Stiles is gone.

Every time Steve’s hands cup his face ever so gently when they can kill a man with a single punch; Every time warm, soft lips touch his own, Stiles can’t bring himself to think about parting from this man. His man. The short shelf life of their relationship may have suddenly extends to forever.

He hasn’t told Steve how he feels, just how insecure he is yet how much he loves him, and it kills a little more everyday they don’t speak the words to each other. They’re dating, sure, but they have never defined their relationship there are times when Stiles opens his mouth to ask but then there is a pit opening up at the bottom of his stomach and he can’t bring himself to face the possible rejection.

But.

The point is, when Steve touches, kisses him, sweet and gentle any and all thoughts about when their relationship will end completely fade from Stiles’ mind.

So, of course.

Of fucking course, when Stiles manages to find that confidence, he _really_ does have, the words explode out of his mouth whilst Steve is busy kissing a teasing path down Stiles’ torso.

Stiles hates himself a little bit, Steve is really good at blow jobs, like _really really good._

“I love you”

He lifts his head slightly right as he got to Stiles’ dick (He mourns the lost silently) to look at him, a slight smirk present on his lips. (Stiles really wants his dick on those lips) And Steve, sweet innocent (Stiles still can’t believe he was a virgin when they met) Steve looks Stiles straight in the eyes and goes to take him right to the back of his throat and it’s not until Stiles has spilled down his throat and he has Steve’s cum all over his hands that he gets a reply. A gentle kissed is place on his lips as Steve murmurs “I love you too”

His heart stutters to stop before beating entirely to fast to be healthy and just like that Stiles has _Confidence._

#

It’s not a magic fix, there are moments fleeting as they may be when the doubts flicker back into his conscious but soon enough, they’re chased away by Steve and his touch.

Right now, they’re lying down on the couch in Stiles’ apartment in New York watching a movie, Stiles is running his fingers through Steve’s hair as he lays his head on his boyfriend’s lap. Stiles gets giddy every time he stops and realises that he can say that now. That Steve is his boyfriend. How did he get so lucky?

“I, uh…thought that was obvious, I saved you from extreme public humiliation” Steve says during a period of silence in the movie, rubbing the back of his neck. Stiles frowns in confusion, did he say that out loud? When Stiles moves his eye’s from watching the TV screen to down at Steve, he finds his boyfriend beaming up at him, his breath hitches but a return smile makes its way onto his face as he tilts his head in for a kiss.

“Is it too soon to pause the movie and go to bed?” He asks, when he pulls away for much needed air. Steve grins, a glint of amusement in his eyes.

“Babe it’s only six, we can’t _sleep_ now”

“Who said anything about _sleeping?_ ” Stiles murmurs back a little bit distracted by the bruised red mark on Steve’s neck he had made a little earlier. He wants to lick it. A hand stops him from continuing their current make out session and god Stiles feels like a teenager again even if his teenaged years weren’t that long ago.

“This is a good film; I want finish watching it.”

They’re watching Christopher Nolan’s Batman, they’re currently on the second of the trilogy. Stiles loves Batman but he still would rather have sex with Steve. “The movie is not that great”

Lie. It’s one of Stile’s favourite movies, not that his boyfriend knows that, he’s keeping just how much of a nerd he is firmly under wraps, thank you very much.

“Well I like it” Stiles ignores this and continues leaving teasing bites on Steve’s jaw.

“It’s basically a movie about a genius billionaire who fights crime because he has a shit ton of issues and just doesn’t use his money for fucking therapy” Is said between nips down Steve’s torso.

“DC is not subtle at all, it’s essentially a movie about iron man” argued through sucks at Steve’s hardened and pebbled nipples through his thin shirt.

“So, what’s wrong with that?” Steve says, oddly defensive but reluctantly amused as his hands come to rest on the back of Stiles’ head, guiding him to where he wants to go next. Stiles knew he would give in. He’s irresistible, see? _Confidence._

“Nothing really” Hands grip the waistband of basketball shorts and pulls them down.

“I like Iron man and I like Batman”

“Yeah, they’re both great, prefer batman though” His tongue flicks out and his hand reaches up to hold Steve firmly at the base almost too firm.

“What? He’s not even real! Iron man is.” The defensive note is back in Steve’s tone and Stiles stops what he’s doing and sits up, unsure why the conversation seemed to offend Steve for some reason. He opens his mouth to reply when he is cut off when a phone rings from the coffee table in front of them.

It’s Steve’s. The conversion is short and soon enough his saying bye and hanging up on whoever is on the other side of the call, he turns to Stiles, an apologetic tilt of his head lets him know that the movie date is over.

“Sorry babe I got to go” A kiss to the lips and then suddenly Stiles is alone.

#

A week later and Stiles hasn’t heard from Steve, he is unsure as to why, sure they had that not quite an argument but when Steve had left it was with a kiss and an I love you, so Stiles assumed that they were fine. Yet if they were why hasn’t he heard from Steve? The uncertainty would be cleared up if Stiles just picked up his phone and texted his boyfriend but he’s not sure he wants to be the first to reach out when he doesn’t even know what’s wrong, scared that he could advertently make things worse. He is currently on his way to see his best buddy Scott who lives just a ten minute away from Stiles and his phone is burning a hole through his pocket, Stiles had put the phone on silent early that morning so he could pretend that was the reason why he couldn’t hear the ringing of the phone and it was just as he was contemplating plucking the courage to just call Steve when the everything went to shit.

Which is both an exaggeration and not, the city was being invaded my sentient robots, so to say that everything went to shit was appropriate but then again New York seems to get invaded every other month and it had almost been half a year since the last one, so they were long overdue. The lack of an onset of utter panic when the invasion alarm sounds (and the fact that they even have an invasion alarm) really puts things into perspective and at the moment Siles is closer to Scott’s than he is to his apartment so he carries on his way mindful of the people walking just that little bit faster in the opposite direction.

He brushes pass a man who mutters “Stupid fucking Superheroes,” to himself and carries on walking, he’s only roughly five minutes away. He picks up a teddy bear dropped by a little girl and hands it back to whom he assumes is her haggard looking mother and carries on, only two minutes away. Its when he is practically at Scott’s front door, a few more steps and he could ring the doorbell when he’s tackled to the ground. Stiles groans both in pain and irritation and wonders if he could get an extension on his group project that he’s supposed to be doing right now with Scott on due to extenuating circumstances. Those circumstances being _fucking_ _superheroes_.

He is lucky his backpack which has his books and laptop inside stopped him slamming his back or worse his head hard on the rough and jagged pavement but then again, his laptop probably has gained some damage from the fall. He turns to rage at his attacker (there was a distinct warm and soft human body against his as he fell so he knew it wasn’t one of the robots) only to see that they had already left without even helping him up or seeing if he was okay.

Rude.

As he looks around and dusts himself off he can see smoke in the distance, a building is most definitely on fire and cars are being left abandoned in the middle of the road, as people flocking into the safety buildings on practically every street corner (they were built after the Chituari failed in their invasion) they supposedly could withstand numerous nuclear blasts but Stiles highly doubts it. He sees a flash of red and gold rush pass him in a flash as he makes his way to the café across the street as somehow in the few seconds between him falling and getting back up Scott’s front door is now blocked by a mound of debris that Stiles doesn’t really feel like climbing over and sighs. He won’t be able to get home anytime soon, so he might as well get some food and get started on his project.

Naïve and wishful thinking on his part.

He throws himself to the floor just in time, the window that was just on the left to where he was sitting shatters on impact of a body being thrown onto, glass rains down onto him, little silvers of glass embed themselves in the exposed skin of his hands and forearms accompanied by small sharp stings of pain stinging as he covers his head on instinct remembering the time when in senior year where Scott’s house was shot up.

There’s not much he can hear above is the sudden roar of gunfire and repulsor blasts, he uncovers his head when there is a dull in the spraying of bullets and stands to survey the now decimated café, his ears are ringing and his chest heaves as he struggles to breathe but nonetheless he cautiously makes his way over to the window to see that the fighting as moved farther down the street, he turns back to everyone in the café and manages a breathless “Is anyone hurt?”

Everyone starts to pick themselves up from the floor, as a chorus of fines and shaky yes’ leaves their bitten and bleeding mouths other than that Stiles can’t see any blood or hear any sounds of pain. Calmly, (as if an army of robots wielding guns wasn’t complete and utterly petrifying)Stiles makes his way to the door, because he knows that there is no way inn hell that Scott would ignore what just happen and sure enough as the café door closes behind him, he sees Scott slowly picking his way through the debris blocking his doorway. He knows that his friend doesn’t know what he’s doing, hasn’t got a plan apart from doing something really fucking stupid because that’s what Scott does its always Stiles with the plan.

So he races across the street bumping into a redheaded woman in his hurry to help his friend, because then at least they would be doing something stupid together its just as Scott spots him and a smile makes his way onto his face when an explosion rocks the ground around him, pieces of rock and dirt joining the shards of glass already covering him he staggers as he loses his footing and his shoulder hits a large chuck of rock flying past him. He waits a few seconds for his ears to stop ringing _again_ , he most likely has some ear damage from the blast, but soon enough he starts running again even faster this time because he has to make sure Scott… to make sure he’s okay.

As he looks up, he sees a robot lifting its gun and pointing it straight at an unaware Scott, and Stile doesn’t know how but suddenly he’s across the street in between his friend and the robot. A shout of no makes its way out of both his and Scott’s mouth and honestly Stiles isn’t too sure who sounds more scared probably him because at that moment the robot’s body twists, turning the guns on Stiles, and he clenches in anticipations, ready to move a moment’s notice when…

 _THUNK_.

An arrow embeds itself in the vulnerable spot between the robot’s neck and shoulder joint, where the metal joints are just weak enough for the tip of the arrow to actually penetrate rather than bounce off. And before he can even begin to look for where the arrow came from (he’s guesses a nearby roof where Hawkeye must be perched) there’s a hand tightening on his bicep, its grip almost on the point of pain as he’s yanked away and shoved behind a car and just as sudden as it was there the hand is gone. Stiles looks up, takes in the tangled vibrant red hair and bodysuit covered in various knives and ammo, drops his head back against the door of the car and lets out a quite sigh.

The Black Widow doesn’t move her eyes from his body, seemingly looking over his numerous small cuts dotted over his face, hands and forearms. Her expression is blank so Stiles can’t get a read on anything she is thinking, probably thinking about how much of an idiot he is. Abruptly she looks away and nods to herself but she’s looking up so maybe to Hawkeye, her lips curl into a slight smirk when there’s a slight cackle over the comms unit he can see in her ear. Definitely Hawkeye then.

“The captain sure can pick them.” she says, her tone more playful than biting yet with a chiding note “The idiot went and got right in between one and its target, figures he would be exactly like him.”

“Hey!” Stiles exclaims, slightly offended and highly confused all at once, as it was obvious, she was talking about him yet unsure as to why she was. His protest is ignored as he is once again pulled along this time into a nearby alleyway and Stiles is only half certain that she’s not going to kill him, he convinces himself that it’s because he wants to not because he is scared of her why he goes along into the alleyway where his life may come to an abrupt and bloody stop. She doesn’t look when she aims her gun and shots her gun at an approaching robot and Stiles is even more terrified than he was before.

It hits dead centre. Kill shot.

Yep, absolutely terrified.

He’s finally able to pull away and he slumps down not quite sitting next to an old thrown out sofa. “How is this my _life_ ,” he breathes out. “You fucking _superheroes_ , I am too tired for this bullshit. What did I do… fucking karma is what it is.” A snort interrupts his mumbling.

“Are you done?”

He shakes his head; he needs to get back to Scott. Her eyebrows rises in question, danm she could give Deaton a run for his money or Derek.

“I need to go back” he says.

The eyebrow if even possible becomes more judgemental by the second. “Who?” she demands in confusion. Stiles nods back to the road they had just come from and points to where they can still see Scott looking around confused, most likely wondering where Stiles went. He looks like an adorable little puppy and Stiles can’t leave his bestie to fend for himself, so he makes for the mouth of the alley within seconds his back slams against the brick bruising his back even more than his earlier fall on his way to Scott’s. Which feels like an age ago when in reality it’s been around twenty minutes.

The hand finds its way to his chest this time.

“Clint’s handling it.” Black Widow replies coolly, face back to an emotionless mask. “You need to calm down, the last thing we need is you getting hurt”

Stiles is about to protest when a spray of bullets brushes _extremely_ close to where they’re currently standing and then the Black widow is a dizzyingly flash of blurred movement and a crackle of electricity downs their sudden attacker, she turns back to him but Stiles notices the robot getting back up not as down as they though and he just acts.

The gun is pulled from her hand and pointed over her shoulder before she completes her turn and is shot, hits it mark by the time she is facing him again. The sound of the robot’s heavy metal body hitting the ground is loud in suddenly quiet alley as is the shout of “What the hell!” he hears coming from the comms.

“Could use a lift over here” Widow says and at first Stiles is confused as to who she was talking to as she doesn’t seem to be speaking into the comms and then Stiles looks back down the alley where her attention had turned to see the avengers standing there.

All of them.

And Steve.

For a second he’s confused and then he takes in the uniform and shield and has a lightbulb moment. He’s dating Captain America.

He’s dating Captain America and he didn’t even know it until now.

WOW, he can really be fucking oblivious sometimes, Lydia was right.

Hawkeye makes his way over to the robot and kicks it with the toe of his black combat boots, seemingly satisfied that its really dead this time he lets out an impressed whistle and turns to look at Stiles. “You got it good, where did you learn to shoot like that?”

“My dad was in the army, than the rangers, than he became a deputy and now he’s a sheriff; I learned to shoot before I could walk” Stiles says as he hands the widow back her gun not wanting her to kill him for keeping it any longer than he needs too. For a moment, no one says anything, long enough that Stiles thinks his ADHD is about to make an appearance, he can already feel his fingers beginning to twitch and the urge to say something random and weird is strong.

“I didn’t know that” Steve breaks the silence, he sounds upset by the information, a frown forming on his otherwise blank face and Stiles is not sure what to say to make it better, there’s a lot of things Steve doesn’t know about him so he just shrugs.

“Well, this just got awkward.” Thanks for that outstanding observation Tony freaking Stark. Widow hands him back the gun.

“You might as well keep it, you might need it” Stiles shakes his head in denial, that’s not a good idea and he says as such. Another raised eyebrow is what he gets for his troubles, a silent demand for an explanation.

“My ADHD acts up when I’m shooting with a handgun I’m better with a sniper rifle you would think it would be the other way around but apparently not” He begins to rumble nervously, aware that sometimes Clint functions as a sharpshooter for the team and that although he’s not here he knows Bucky Barnes is somewhere on a rooftop with a sniper rifle. Speaking of which how did Clint get down from whatever rooftop he was on so quick?

“I didn’t know that either” Steve says and again Stiles shrugs because why would Steve know when he didn’t even know Stiles knew how to shoot in the first place.

“Well before this gets even more awkward, you better hold on tight bambi, might as well drop you off with the resident cyborg” Stark says as cold hard hands grip him under his arms.

Stiles is man enough to admit he lets a girlish scream as they take off into the air, laugher following them as they make there way a few buildings over. Wind whips aggressively against his face making his eyes water and his cuts sting harshly and Stiles is unsure of what he is supposed to hold on tight too and just as he’s made the choice to leave his dignity behind and clutch onto Stark in a crude imitation of a hug he finds himself being dropped.

He begins to scream. The sound hasn’t fully left his mouth when he looks around and sees he has been dropped into the waiting arms of a glaring super solider. Again, Stiles is man enough that a _tiny_ really a _minuscule_ whimper leaves his lips as he takes in the somewhat stern expression. A smirk lifts at the corner of lips as again Stiles is dropped without warning but this time onto the ground.

Fucking _superheroes._

Stiles doesn’t even bother to get he just lays there, certain that if he does his back is going to get yet another bruising and he’s not sure he can take anymore of it, the amount of times his back has been slammed into things in the last hour is not even funny. He should sue. He doesn’t know who, as multiple people were involved but nonetheless, he is tempted. Maybe Stark, he’s got a lot of money.

A snort of disbelief and amusement lets him know that he’s internal monologue wasn’t as internal as he thought and lifts his head to see the winter shooting down into the streets below with another smirk on his lips “Jesus, Steve where did you find this guy?” he says. Stiles takes offense to the throw away comment and with his snark and pettiness released in its full glory (he’s _so_ done with the _bullshit)_ he growls out “You’re just upset that they got you in an outfit that looks like it belongs in a BDSM sex dungeon”

There’s a moment of silence.

A groan.

“Why the fuck couldn’t he have gone with birdbrain”

Well, that’s _rude!_

“Are you upset because that’s where you actually got it from, and you thought no one would notice?” Stiles is on a roll.

…

…

“Steve, come and get him before I kill him.”

“I’m going to go ahead and take that as a firm yes.”

…

“He’s worse than the kid.”

Stiles doesn’t know who the kid is but he’s pretty sure he should be offended on both their behalves. What the hell he thinks – in for a penny as they say.

“Maybe this is your punishment, because you’ve been a _bad boy_ ” Okay that one was a little cringey Stiles admits but he can’t stop now he’s gotta commit otherwise he would come across as a wimp.

He’s no wimp, _confidence_ remember.

“Fuck I’m going to shoot him; I mean it Stevie”

A bullet hits a robot trying to make its way onto the roof, Stiles up in his feet at this point watches as it falls back down to the ground.

“Is fuck your safe word? I dunno about that one man, doesn’t it get confusing?”

…

“No.”

…

“No, it doesn’t get confusing or no it’s not your safe word?”

He finally looks back at Stiles then, with a put upon look on his face and Stiles gives himself a mental pat on the back. Mission accomplished.

“No as in no way,” he says. “No fuckin’ way. I don’t need this. You make me miss being on ice” That makes Stiles stop in his tracks, he knows what the man in front of him went through both when he was on ice and not, the whole world does. Stiles followed the news closely when it came out, partially interested as it was after the whole nogitsune ordeal and his heart aches at the knowledge that someone else went through what he did. That there was someone out there that could understand, could empathise with what he went through what he still is going through. Some of his thought process must have showed on his face as the solider takes in a sharp breath and looks away again.

“I was joking” he says. Stiles wishes he could joke about his trauma and although its been years he’s not quite there yet. Stiles blanks out after that unaware of the time passing, he does that sometimes when the memories of home and high school pop up and become too much for him to deal with it.

Disassociation, Morrell had called it.

And then it hits Stiles, all those times he wanted someone to talk to, who wouldn’t just say it wasn’t his fault and pat him on his back as if that made him any less guilty. As if that alone would wash away the blood on his hands.

He could have it, the winter solider wouldn’t say it wasn’t his fault, there would be no pats on the back, just the knowledge who understood him as he is now on a deep primal level and wouldn’t judge him for it.

#

It could have been minutes or hours after his realisation when he hears the doors to the rooftop bang open and sees Steve make his way over too him. He’s aware in a distant type of way of the winter solider killing off the robots on the ground before some flood the roof they’re on. He’s aware he receives a nod of approval and thanks when he picks up a knife the solider had dropped and throws it over the guys shoulder into the throat of a robot that had been approaching him from behind. He’s distantly aware when they’re the only two left on the roof but he’s still not fully back in himself when he receives a shake from the shoulder and looks up to see mild concern etched on the super soldier’s face

Stiles wishes he could say something clever in the moment but his ability to speak seems to have left him. Which has never happen to him before, once upon a time sarcasm and his words were his only defence, he has never had a lack of something to say how could he when what he said was both a weapon and a defence mechanism. His mouth pinches slightly unsure of what to do he just shrugs.

“You said…” he starts leadingly not sure of how to bring the subject up, must have been the wrong way as the solider tenses up “Yeah, sorry sometimes I make people uncomfortable”

Stiles shakes his head and opens his mouth before he realises the others could hear their conversation, he motions to the man to turn it off and he does so with a little hesitation and suspicion.

“It’s not that you made me uncomfortable, I just had a flashback.”

The man lets out a confused breath and Stiles gathers his strength, his _confidence_ and just talks like he’s been wanting to do for years.

“I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of the nogitsune, they’re from Japan mostly… similar situation… remember the power. The fear… I remember shoving a sword into my bestfriend’s stomach and liking the fear and pain I could see in his eyes. I planted a bomb at the police station where my dad worked, I never felt as much anger as I did then when I found out that he wasn’t even there when the bomb went off, I wanted my own father dead” Stiles lets out slowly, a single tear running down his face. It’s all he could master he’s cried so much of this there’s simply nothing left.

His companion is silent in his understanding, so Stiles continues.

“In the rare moments of being back in control I remember going to my friends father and begging him to kill him sure he would be the one to understand that it would be a mercy, a greater good killing for me and everyone else and I wasn’t strong enough to do it myself as truthfully I didn’t want to die but I couldn’t see the end, the light at the end of the tunnel. When it was all said and done, the whole situation was swept under the rug. How couldn’t it be? When my father would have had to arrest his own son for murder. No one would have believed that it wasn’t technically me, they would have thought my father was just covering for his son, I guess now they would maybe but its too late. So, this deeply traumatic thing happen to me and I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t speak, I couldn’t let out my anger, my pain because no one could know, no one could understand until.”

“Until me.” Stiles just nods his head unable to say anymore he was close to his breaking point, all those thoughts and emotions had been bottled up for years and the wound they made never fully healed just scabbed over, still slightly bleeding, the blood dripping and coating his hands never letting him forget.

“Hey,” Bucky’s voice sharpens slightly. “that fucking sucks, you good for now?”

 _Am I good?!_ Stiles thinks wildly, and thinks yeah, he was “yeah don’t tell Steve.”

And then under his breath “I can’t believe I didn’t realise I was dating Captain America” Apparently, he wasn’t quite enough as he hears the super solider snort in disbelief.

“What sucks, and don’t tell Steve what?” Comes a voice from the now opened doorway, they turned to see the rest of the team making their way over to where they’re which is a bit redundant as they’re going to have to go back down onto the street at some point,

“That Stiles had no clue somehow that Steve was Captain America” Bucky mutters.

“---”

“traitor!” Stiles shouts as a silent acknowledgment of shared trauma passes between them.

#

Supposedly it is tradition for the team to go and get shawarma after each battle, so Stiles finds himself following the avenger down the stairs and onto the street. Stiles had protested he needed to go and find Scott and check that he was okay, but Clint assured him that he was back in his apartment and Stiles could check on him later. Stiles didn’t argue after that, it’s not everyday you get to hang out with the avengers after all.

Scott’s alive, so Stiles can stop worrying for a second. When they reach street level it’s to find that once again SHIELD has demonstrated it’s high level of effectiveness as the area is already taped of and the robot are being taken off by damage control, People line the outskirts of the area, the screaming only getting louder once the notice the team. Stiles hopes to fade into the background not used to being on this side of the tape, but Steve’s arm is tight and heavy round his waist; he’s not letting him go any time soon. As they make their way to the restaurant the avengers apparently frequent quite often if the mumbles Stiles were correctly heard Steve asks “Did you really not know?”

Stiles hums as he replies, “Yes and no, the knowledge was there in the background, but you never were Captain America with me just Steve, so I didn’t really realise or acknowledge it and I just forgot.”

Stiles doesn’t have to look at his boyfriend to know he’s smiling at Stiles obliviousness he does it often enough.

“You forgot that your boyfriend was a superhero and regularly saves the world?”

“Fucking _superheroes_ man”

“Language!” Steve asks exclaims.

“Don’t start that shit with me Rogers, you grew in Brooklynn and went to war there’s no way you don’t fucking swear”

“…”

“Language Stiles!”

Stiles throws his hands up into the air in exasperation, his boyfriend is an idiot. He turns to guy just about to walk past him who has a sticker on his shirt proudly reading Hi! I’m Stan and says “Can you fucking believe this guy”

The man nods and replies “Fucking _Superheroes”_

He gets it.


	2. Don't even know him.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles has a lot of secrets. 
> 
> Steve really doesn't him his boyfriend as well as he thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to point out a few things I should have before, the timeline with this story like with all my stories is a bit wacky. So obvi this happens post season 6 of teen wolf (Im unsure if im going to include season 6 in the story yet) 
> 
> With the avengers techincally its post age of altron as the robot invasion was techincally altron I just didnt go into detail as it was really apart of the story I wanted to tell.
> 
> Its not really post civil war even if bucky is apart of the avengers as I changed canon from the fight with altron but captain america; winter solider happen and all other movies previous to it also do with a little editing. The movies after that are going to be included in some aspects but not all.

Stiles is enjoying his second cup of coffee, it wakes him up after a long night in a way the first cup just couldn’t, but he’s used to needed more than one cup of coffee in the morning to wake him up, when he becomes aware of someone watching him from outside his window.

He can’t see them, but his got the prickly feeling on the back of his neck that you get when someone stares at you for too long or too long. He could just be paranoid as his whole life had turned upside following the robot invasion an month ago when the whole world found out he was banging Captain America. A fact that Bucky still finds outrageously funny and ironic; Stiles just feels slightly dumb and embarrassed.

He’s about to go back to drinking his coffee, putting his unease down to his state of total exhaustion and paranoia; honestly, he might need to have three cups today when he hears a crunch coming from his balcony window which he had opened to get some fresh morning air and had pushed over an old flower pot on the windowsill. 

For a second he stands still unsure of what to do, he would make a break for it, but his balcony window is right opposite the front door and anyone coming from that direction would undoubtedly see him. There’s also the fact that it could be Derek, moving the pack to the city that never sleeps didn’t stop the alpha from using his window as a door instead of an actual front door like a normal person. Then again if it was Derek, he would have called out by now, fed up from one too many instances when he has snuck up on Stiles and has gotten something (usually a heavy textbook and on one memorable yet mildly awkward for the both of them occasion, a condom. A _Used_ condom) thrown in his face for his troubles.

Stiles misses those days, things between them nowadays are too strained and filled with tension to be worth anything and he wonders if they can ever get back to their old state of friendship.

As much as Stiles wants to go over to the balcony, he knows it’s not a good idea, in fact it would be a very bad one; he has no clue who the person is or if the armed or not. It would be a sure-fire way to get himself killed or at the very least get a punch to the face.

Faced with either making a run for it and his intruder seeing him and then pursuing him or face whoever it is head on, Stiles mourns as he puts down his unfinished coffee and prepares to run like hell. But in the last few seconds he has before the choice is taken from him Stiles stops, he’s never run from a fight before in his life, always faced them head on no matter what and he doesn’t want to start now. So, he picks back up coffee, takes a small sip and waits.

He doesn’t have to wait long and as soon as he sees a hint of the person coming around the corner, he is lobbing his still mostly full mug at their head, the majority of the liquid spills out of the mug before it reaches its target but that’s okay.

Stiles likes his coffee to burn its way through his body so even a drop of the boiling hot drink would probably be severely painful for what he can now see is a man, but Stiles doesn’t wait to see if it even hits its target. The moment the mug had left his hand he turned on his heel and ran for his front door.

By he time he can hear a grunt of pain coming from the now open door Stiles is already halfway down the fire escape that’s located at the end of the hallway, the cold wet metal would be almost unbearable because he is running full pelt in this bare feet but he figures that in case the guy wasn’t alone his friends are more likely to be waiting for him out front. (And the adrenaline flowing through his body)

Of course, there is still a chance that there could be someone waiting for him at the bottom of the fire escape but the chances of that is slightly less the certain 100% of going out the front entrance so Stiles takes the risk and as he looks over the railing it seems to have paid off. Still he doesn’t drop his guard and takes the last few steps at a jump, he slides a little on landing but manages to keep his balance but he’s a little distracted for a second as he runs through a particularly deep puddle (Stiles curses the fact that it rained last night) so he doesn’t see the car that pulls up at the mouth of the alley.

It is with a grimace on his face that he looks up and sees the car door opening, Stiles is about to turn and reach for the knife up his sleeve that he managed to nab before he made his escape upstairs when he realises that it is Stark that he’s glaring down. He slows his run into a mild jog and within seconds he’s gliding into the backseat of the car that Tony gestures him to, a bunch of questions on the tip of his tongue when Tony holds up one finger to him and another to his ear. Its then that Stiles notices the comms unit and he nods his head in understanding.

It’s a few seconds later when the genius playboy turns to face him again with a smirk present on his face, his hazel eyes holding a glint of amusement.

“Nice pyjamas bambi”

It’s then that Stiles remembers that he went to bed in an Iron man hoodie and a pair of basketball shorts that just happen to be the same red as the iron man suits. Really, it’s a simple _coincidence_ not the fact years later Lydia’s threat of castration if wears clashing colours ever again still scares him into the compliance, and he’s a total nerd for the guy. Nope, that’s not the reason at all, he’s just being fashion conscious and playing tribute to one of his idols something which Stark does not need to know.

Stiles _hates_ his life.

He can’t help but let out an embarrassed squeak which only serves to amuse Starks even further and Stiles wants to sink down in the seats or at the very least have the superpower of being invisible would definitely come in handy with situations as these.

His embarrassment continues to only go grow more when the car door opens again, and he takes in the horrifying sight of Bucky Barnes glaring down at him.

He smells distinctly of _coffee_.

And Stiles can see dark splotches on his even darker jacket.

He also has a cut across his forehead which is bleeding sluggishly.

And yep, Stiles had totally thrown a cup of boiling hot coffee at the _winter solider._

He’s dead.

He wonders if he will ever get through a single interaction with one of the avengers without making a fool of himself; somehow, he seriously doubts it. His luck doesn’t work like that no matter how much he wishes that it did, would have saved him from a hella lot of grief back home in good old Beacon Hills, California.

Stiles isn’t too sure if he should apologise though, how was he supposed to know that it was Bucky? Would have saved them both a lot of hassle if he told Stiles that he was stopping by or just knocked on the front door. Hell, he would have taken the guy just knocking on the balcony window but _no_ he had to run with his bare feet down the wet, cold and filthy fire escape which lead to him now having gross feet.

Stiles _hates_ gross feet.

They freak him out, not understanding how someone can let their feet get so dirty and he could never trust someone with dirty feet. He really needs to go back upstairs and wash them and put on some nice fluffy socks as he thinks this, he notices that Bucky is for some reason holding his duffle bag in one hand and his trainers in another. He immediately goes on alert as whatever reason the two avengers had for sneaking into his apartment, he knows it can’t be good, especially when it looks like Bucky packed him a bugouts bag.

Stiles slides his hand into the waistband of his shorts, his fingers curling around his phone. He had put it on silent the evening before as he didn’t want any distractions whilst he was studying, now he silently curses to himself, wondering how many missed calls from Steve are going to pop up once he unlocks the device. But before he can pull the phone out, he remembers that Steve was called for a mission and wouldn’t even have his phone on him.

Stiles doesn’t know what the mission is, he of course doesn’t have the security clearance for that but now that he thinks about it, he does know that Steve was supposed to be back already.

_Shit._

He frowns up at Bucky, reaching for his trainers to pull them on, his dirty feet the last of his worries right now.

“Is Steve okay?” He frets as he laces up his trainers, his fingers kind of getting numb from the cold drifting into the car as Bucky is standing in front of the still open door, he rubs them to get some feeling and warmth back into them, the action doesn’t escape Bucky’s gaze and he moves to slide onto the seat next to Stiles and closes the door as he replies. “He’s fine, but we need to get you out of here”

Stiles nods in understanding even if he’s more confused than anything, if Steve is fine, what the hell was going on?

After the whole world found out about him and Steve he had to sit down with the team and the director of SHIELD to go over a shit ton of protocols and procedures he’s meant to follow in the outcome of any multitudes of doomsdays events that had been outlined to him in painstaking detail. The main point was, if something were to happen someone would come and pick him and he was to do as they say when the say it without question. Something which had never been a strong point for him, ever since the Hales had come back to town he had been at the forefront of everything major that happen around him. He had _control._

Now he doesn’t. He’s not sure if he likes it. Every day for the last month Steve has asked him if he was okay with the realities of dating a superhero and every _single_ time, Stiles had said yes without hesitation arguing that he loved Steve, he could handle what came along with loving him.

He might have lied. At least at the time he didn’t believe he was lying; he had honestly thought that he could handle anything that came with having Steve and as a by-product being the Avengers and their enemies’ in his life. So technically he wasn’t _lying,_ he just hadn’t fully realised the situation he now was in.

Stiles thought that with everything that had happen in Beacon Hills, being the token human running with a pack of wolves, being trained by one of the more deadly and powerful hunter families, dating an avenger would be a walk in the park. It’s more like a run through the woods filled with every supernatural creature that goes bump in the night.

Steve is worth it though, so maybe Stiles shouldn’t be questioning the whole relationship right now. Nevertheless, he takes comfort in Bucky’s words as he knows that the man wouldn’t lie to him, not about this. They understand each on a level that they never expected to find outside of Scott and Steve, Bucky knows in the end it’s just better if Stiles is kept in the know. As it is Stiles feels that they might understand each other better than their best friends do.

He really needed to stop allowing himself to get side-tracked they had more urgent and important things to concentrate on as evidenced by Bucky suddenly freezing up and taking out his gun which had been hidden underneath his jacket.

“Get down!” The words are shouted in a deep irritated snap as Bucky forcibly hauls Stiles down onto the floor of the car just a round of bullets smash into the window and embed themselves into the opposite side door. The ear-splitting sound a gun going off makes Stiles flinch feeling something raining down on him from just above his head, he rolls his shoulder as he notices that it just glass from the smashed window. When another gunshot goes off the panic starts to relentlessly claw its way up his throat, they needed to move as they were sitting ducks where they were which Stiles didn’t understand because they were in a _car_ , so why weren’t they driving away?

Stiles sees one of Bucky’s return bullets hit a guy in the leg (who looks worryingly familiar), causing him to stumble and the bullet to go off course missing Bucky and instead hitting and bouncing off a nearby trashcan which would have been great if it didn’t ricochet off and hit Stiles instead.

Which you know is not _good._ And extremely _painful._

Another gunshot snaps off as they finally peel away from the alley (what took so long?) this one quieter, the sound different more distant and Stiles wonders if it’s because they’re further away or because he’s quickly losing the fight to not black out. Which again is not a _good_ idea. But still Stiles can hear as Tony lets out an explosion of curses when he clocks on to the fact that Stiles has been hit, which brings Bucky’s attention back to them. The look on his face lets Stiles know that whatever the super solider sees is not good. As in what he sees could potentially be life threatening.

Great. That’s extremely reassuring.

“Shit!”

And Stiles’ is definitely dying.

For a guy who has been around guns his whole life, shot at people, been shot at, he has never actually been _shot._ He really really doesn’t like it- 0/10 would not recommend. The whole of his left side is steadily growing more and more numb and he can’t even tell where he’s been hit since he can’t feel anything, and you know he’s wearing all _red._

His ears begin to ring, and Stiles knows it’s only a matter of time before he finally loses the fight, whether or not he gets back up or not afterwards is a whole other battle that he’s not sure he’s going to come out swinging- triumphant.

#

“Move.” The order is shouted at him as soon as he and Tony put Stiles down on a bed in the medbay of the tower, but Bucky _can’t._ If he lets go, he’s afraid that the punk is gonna bleed out on them and he can’t have that for Steve’s sake and if he is being honest his own. Stiles had wormed his way into all of the team’s heart in a surprising short amount of time and he was the first person outside of Stark that he actually connected with since Hydra. It’s not that he doesn’t connect with the rest of the avengers but just not on the same deep level as Stiles who has quickly become his best friend- sorry Steve.

Speaking of.

To say that Steve looked an absolute mess would be paying the man a compliment, Tony had called the team on their way to the tower from car not even half an hour ago yet his friend looked like he had aged a decade in that time but to be fair Stiles looked like he was already dead yet somehow at the same time like he was get progressively worse. Bucky wasn’t too sure he could stand to actually see that, but he also was not ready to leave.

“Buck, what happen?” the words were spoken brokenly, it was easy to see in this moment Steve loves his boyfriend and the pain present throughout his voice breaks Bucky just a little bit and he’s not sure how to answer the guy, to tell him that it was Bucky’s fault. He had seen as the bullet made its way to Stiles but thought that the man had managed to dodge as he hadn’t shown any reaction at being hit.

Probably because of the shock, Tony said he went into when he didn’t respond to either one of them calling out to him numerous times.

“There was a rouge bullet, it bounced off a bin and hit him. I’m sorry Stevie it’s my fault”

Steve shakes his head in denial “No it’s not Buck, it was pure chance that the bullet hit him.”

And Bucky would take the out, but he _can’t._ “I shot the guy, causing him to misfire and the bullet to go off course and hit Stiles.”

It’s silent for a moment, as Tony makes his way over to him and pulls Bucky into his side, an armoured clutching at his waist protectively. He might be a little bit in love with the guy.

“No, you were just protecting yourself. If it’s anyone’s fault, then it’s mine, they were after him to get to me. This one is on me”

Tony lets out a disbelieving snort from beside him, the hand on his waist tightening for a second before letting go and Bucky looks up to see him shaking his head exasperation, and yeah, they deserve that one he and Steve could go on the blame train all day long if someone lets them.

“Actually, Rogers I don’t think it is. When he was hit and before he lost consciousness Stiles said something that worried me, so I did a little digging and it is not good.” Bucky frowns at this he hadn’t heard anything, and he knows due to the experiments Hydra did on him his hearing is more advanced than his partners. By this time the rest of the team had found their way into the medbay and were waiting for Tony to continue so he lets it go.

“You’re in the way, get out.” Cho demands, he has always liked her.

The team must have be anxious to hear the rest because they didn’t put up a protest at the doctor’s orders not even Steve, they just made their way to the conference room on the next floor, so Bucky follows them. Once they are all settled Tony takes a second to get JARVIS to pull up what he had found, they wait somewhat impatiently.

“He said that the guy who shot him looked familiar and working on the assumption that it wasn’t due to his connection with Rogers as it has not been that long since the relationship was outed for Stiles to get familiar with someone for our walk of life I had JARVIS run facial recognition and got a hit.”

Bucky is not sure what to do with that information, he knows that he hasn’t known Stiles all that long but finding out he apparently has enemies who want to kill him makes him feel as he doesn’t know the guy at all and looking around the room he can see that the feeling is shared.

Steve especially looks shocked. 

“One Joseph Samael Argent, born in France Versailles in 89 there doesn’t seem to be anything that directly links him to Stiles, but his niece does or did, An Allison Marie Argent. They were childhood friends until an unspecified accident landed her in coma six years ago” At this point Tony pulls up a picture which looks as it had been taken at a high school party, Bucky can clearly make out Stiles the only guy in the picture of five who looks the same except for a little less facial hair (he had short hair in the picture too) and a whole lot more skinny.

In the picture he has his arms around two girls, with a third to the left of him another on his. One of them is clearly the girl Allison but Bucky wonders who the other girls are to Stiles as one seems as if she wants to kiss him.

“Which one is the Argent girl?” Sam asks the question they were all wondering.

“The first one on his left, the others are Lydia Martin an ex, Erica Reyes, and Malia Tate another ex”

…

“I thought he was gay?” Asks Bruce, as everyone looks to Steve who the poor punk looks shocked again, Bucky is guessing they hadn’t had the awkward chat of ex’s yet.

“He’s bi, he also dated the girl Malia’s cousin Derek, he still talks to them all on quiet a frequent basis.”

Steve speaks up at this point, looking downtrodden and done with the debrief already. “None of this is relevant to Stiles getting shot” He snaps out.

Bit aggressive but true Bucky thinks, nodding along in agreement.

“Well his friendship with the Argent girl isn’t that concerning within itself but her aunt was outed as a Hydra agent with the info drop when SHIELD fell, nothing suggests that good old Joe was an agent as well, but I think it’s toeing the line of chance and coincidence. The ambush outside Stiles’ apartment could be an old friend taking advantage of the opportunity the new spotlight on Stiles gave them especially when taking in the Argent girl’s condition.”

“Do we know what happen with her? Maybe it could spread some light on what happen.” Natasha, who had up to now been a silent observer and Bucky suddenly remembers that she and Stiles had grown close as well, often found on the common room speaking in rapid Russian.

Another thing Steve had found that he had not known about his partner, Bucky feels for him, this must be hard for the man but with like everything his friend is resolute, focused on the issue at hand.

“No, not really all I could find out was the Stiles was the only one who saw what happen, the whole thing stinks of a cover up. I think that maybe both Argent and his sister believe Stiles is responsible for whatever happen, and this was revenge, the fact that we found out about the hit through our Hydra contact was a kill two birds with one stone situation”

“Makes sense, get back at Stiles and get at the Rogers at the same time, them dating must of seemed like an added bonus.” Rhodes puts forward, it’s a solid idea but one thing isn’t making any sense to Bucky. Why the cover up in the first place?

“Why do you think that the accident was a cover up?” He asks slightly confused, as the conversation he and Stiles had on the rooftop when the first met springs to mind. He really _really_ hopes that it has nothing to with this, he might have to derail the conversation if it does, he won’t betray the little shit trust not on this.

“Well I would argue that the Argents believed Stiles responsible in the way of him just not protecting Allison from whatever caused the girl to have accident in the first place but his Father was the first person on the scene, camera feeds were cut so I can’t even recover the footage because there is none..”

“Is that all?” He asks, sceptical. Maybe he won’t have to cover for Stiles after all.

“No, there was some footage from the police interviews I was able to get, Stiles’ is missing, but there were others from their friends which suggests to me that Stiles wasn’t the only one there, like what is written in the report I haven’t had the chance to watch them yet.”

Tony bites his lips as he gestures to JARVIS to start the recordings, and Bucky is unsure if he should stop him but he’s leading to _no_ if the others didn’t go missing like Stiles’ they probably didn’t say anything too damaging.

(Interviewer): Could you please state your full name and age for the tape.

( _Interviewee): Derek Peter Hale, 29_

Mr Hale can you recall to the best of your ability your account of what happen on the evening of September 1st when Miss Argent was hospitalised.

_I was on my way to the store when I got a call from my uncle to come to the high school…_

And why would your uncle call you to the high school?

_At the time I was not sure, but I made the detour as he sounded stressed and like it was urgent, I arrived about ten minutes later._

And what did you see Mr Hale when you arrived at the location?

_My uncle, Chris Argent and Stiles Stilinski crouching around someone, the person who I later saw was Allison Argent was bleeding._

What was your response when you took in the scene?

_I asked Argent, Chris sorry if Allison was okay and what had happen as he was her father and thought he would know, he just shook his head and I took that to mean he didn’t know, my uncle and Stiles also shook their heads._

Thank you, Derek I am wondering if you know how Mr Argent and his companions found themselves at the high street if they were unaware of what had occurred?

_I am unsure, from what I know Stiles had called Chris and my uncle happen to be with him at the time so they both went to Stiles together._

I see, and do you know what was said in that phone conversation?

_I…_

The video abruptly went blank, like the feed had purposefully been cut off, and yeah this was definitely a cover up and Bucky is about 99% sure what it’s a cover up for.

“Someone cut the feed” Thank you for pointing out the obvious Clint, Tony nevertheless nodded his head in agreement stating that they all were liked that before playing the next.

Miss Martin, could you tell me why were you at the school on the evening of September?

_No, I can’t._

And why is that?

_I don’t know, I was at a friend’s when I was hit over the head and the next thing, I knew I was at the School. I can’t tell you because I don’t know._

And which friend was this? If you could also tell who was present at the time in question.

_Scott McCall’s, all of our friends were there._

If you could list them, please Miss Martin for the record.

_Um, Scott obviously, Kira, Isaac, Erica, Boyd, Malia, Jackson, Derek, Cora, Aiden, Ethan, Stiles and Allison._

Thank you, Miss Martin and to clarify, the Stiles and Boyd you are referring to are A Genim Noah Stilinski and one Vernon Andrew Boyd.

_Yes, that’s right._

And do you know if Mr Stilinski and Miss Argent had a fight, or disagreement prior to her accident which landed her in coma.

_No, Stiles would never hurt Ally!_

Do you know if Ally had any arguments with anyone else for example Mr Hale?

_N…_

The feed cuts out again.

“Wait are they talking about the Scott, Stiles was so concerned about a month ago during the invasion?”

The next interviews plays.

“Mr Argent, how did you come across the scene at the high school, if you were apparently on the other side of town?

_Stiles had called me._

I see, and are you in the habit of picking up phone calls from your daughter’s friends?

_No, but Stiles along with Lydia Martin are her closet friends and are always over the house so I have gotten to know them well if either one of them called me I would answer._

And what about Scott McCall, would you answer if he called?

_I do not see how that is relevant to the situation at hand._

You do not see how previous to the accident you had, and I quote “pulled a gun out at me in the parking lot just because I was dating his daughter”

_No, I don’t see how that is relevant._

And similar incident didn’t occur with Mr Stilinski when in the hospital as just as suspicious accident as this one where Miss Martin was hospitalised?

_Lydia was mauled by a wild animal; I don’t see how it’s suspicious._

It happen on the same field as your daughter’s attack Mr Argent and both times Mr Stilinski was the first at the scene. Do you not find that at the least suspicious?

_In…_

The screen completely turns off.

“Okay, that definitely was a cover up if I ever saw one” Sam is the first one to say, something in his voice that Bucky can’t quite pinpoint and he knows he most definitely needs to run interference on Stiles behalf.

“Yeah but I don’t think it’s because of Stiles” Bucky argues instantly, needing to head off the idea that Stiles is responsible before it gains traction the others jump on it.

“This is Stiles we’re talking about and I mean Tony said that he stilled talked and even dated that Martin girl and him and Scott are still friends if he had attacked the girls, I hardly doubt they would still talk to him let alone be his best friends”

Luckily Bucky can see as the others take this in and seem to believe the idea of Stiles being some apparent female hater less though he himself now has some doubts as he was unaware of the attack on the Martin girl but he honestly believes what he said to the team so he knows whatever the truth is Stiles is still one of the good guys, he just hopes that the others don’t continue dig further into this as he’s not sure any of them will like what they find out.

“Sir, Dr Cho would like me to inform you that Mr Stilinski is stable and now awake.”

…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, there was more interviews but I couldn't feasibly include all other without it dragging so I included the ones I thought were the most important to the story.
> 
> In regards to Allison at first I was just going to have her in coma instead of dead but wake up prior to when the story takes place but I now I think it's better if she wakes later on, when that is i'm not too sure right now but to give you a vague and confusing hint the avengers are both wrong and right that the reason Stiles was shot is due to what happen to Allison.


	3. Pilllow Talk.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky to the rescue.

The team didn’t need to be told twice, before they back out of the conference room, and rush back down to the medbay. As Bucky’s gaze finds and lands on Steve, he can’t help but feel as though this is going to be Germany and Siberia all over again and this time, he’s finding it hard to believe that he and Steve are going to be on the same side.

Because he looks _pissed._

Things have definitely gone south for Stiles and Bucky is not too sure he actually helped Stiles or made things worse for him, at least regarding his relationships with Steve and the team it might have been better in the long run if he told the team what he knew. Bucky never got the chance to decide for himself he wanted others to know what he had went through, the choice had been taken for him so despite the doubt he doesn’t actually regret keeping silent. When the others do find out the truth and it’s when and not if shit is going to hit the fan, which Bucky predicts is going to happen in roughly five minutes.

Fun.

By the time they reach Stiles bed, he has already complied a dozen different exit strategies, he does not want to be dragged into the mess anymore then he already was. Which might make him a bad friend to both Steve and Stiles, but he does not want to be caught in the middle, but who knows maybe this won’t be a big of a deal as he’s making it out to be.

“What the hell is going on Stiles.” Steve snaps aggressively straight out the bat, not he pausing to see if his boyfriend is truly okay.

Nope, 100% a big deal, if anything Bucky was understating things, he can see why his friend was so upset though. He thought it himself- that they didn’t really know Stiles, which wouldn’t be a big deal for the team it’s only been a month after all but for _Steve?_

It has been months, almost reaching the year mark that they have been dating, it most upsetting finding out all these things about your partner second hand.

“Wh... what?” Stiles voice came out broken and croaky and a wave of guilt hit Bucky in the chest making him flinch and stumble back into Tony who steadied without a word.

“We’ve been dating for _months_ and I don’t even _know you”_ With each word that comes out of the super soldier’s mouth gets louder and Stiles flinches become more pronounced.

“What really happen with that girl, your friend Allison, I want the truth Stiles no more lies.” The good captain more or less demands. Okay he is beyond pissed maybe it’s time to implement one of those exit strategies.

“What? Ally? How do you know about that?”

“In spite of the blatant cover up done by your father you mean?”

At this point Stiles is looking straight at Bucky, a betrayed look clear to everyone in the room on his face, while there goes his exit strategy and before he can make it clear to Stiles that he hadn’t told anyone a thing the guy is already speaking.

“Bucky? You… you told them?” Bile rises in his throat, burning and leaving a nasty after taste in his mouth as he hears how raw and broken his friend sounds again, he stumbles into Tony shaking his head in denial. By the now the rest of the team is also looking at him as if he has betrayed their trust, he can’t win at all right now he thinks sadly. 

“Buck, what’s he talking about? What did you tell us?”

EXIT STRATEGY. EXIT STRATEGY. EXIT STRATEGY RIGHT NOW!

“Nothing! I never said anything Stiles, Tony found police interviews.”

Stiles seems to shut down at this, his face going blank and his eyes, darkening, hardening as he looks to Tony.

“I thought those we scrubbed beyond recovering.” He asks the genius, his eyes glaring up at the man, stoic.

“Some were, some just had the feed cut off when something damaging was about to be said.” Tony replies hesitant as to how Stiles would react to the news, Bucky thought it was actually going a little bit better than what he had first looked like. He would have ran by now, taking out anyone in his way he does not do well how in confrontation. How _surprising._

“Oh, that’s kind of sloppy going to have to have a chat with Danny” Stiles says calmly, seemingly not fazed about the current topic of conversation, you know how it looked like he had attacked one of his friends and then had his dad cover it up. In fact, he was taking it a little bit _too_ calmly.

“I’m in love with a stranger.” Steve mumbles out, dumbfounded by his boyfriends nonchalant and somewhat callous reaction, Bucky personally thinks that’s a bit far, does he know Stiles as well as he first thought? No, but is he in love with stranger?

“Oh, Stop being dramatic Steve, this isn’t some conspiracy. I know what it looks like, but I didn’t hurt Allison, at least not directly or deliberately.”

There is a sigh of relief throughout the room, and wow Bucky didn’t realise how much it meant to the team outside of Steve but it makes sense Stiles and the Kid are a lot alike in many ways one being how they can get completely under your skin and make you love with little to no effort or time. Then the last part of his sentence sinks in and of course Natasha would be the first to notice, it probably never escaped her attention in the first place.

“So, you weren’t responsible for what happen but something you did or maybe didn’t do resulted in the accident happening in the first place? A butterfly effect.”

Stiles nodded along in agreement, both his eyes and expression softening as he sensed the tension permeating through lessen until it was gone.

“Well if we go down that the road the cause was a long time before I did anything” He stated, and that was not something Bucky had been made privy too, so he frowned in confusion along with the rest of team. He wasn’t naïve or dumb enough to believe Stiles had told him everything that went down with the nogitsune (and _demons_ supposedly existed) but he hadn’t really thought there was more that had happen before Stiles and his friends had become involved.

Maybe he had been a little naïve, but he his defence _demons’_ man.

“Okay, this is getting complicated where it doesn’t need to be, just tell us.” Huh Bucky had kind of forgotten that Wanda was here with them.

The winter solider - the deadliest assassin in the world, ladies and gentlemen.

#

“What had happen with Allison was a combination of events and bad luck that had building for exactly 86 years” Stiles started, more confident than he really felt. He was about to let out years of trauma to a bunch of people that whilst he likes quite a bit has only known for a month.

“Wait, the tapes said the accident happen on September 1st which means exactly 86 years would have been the day the war started- September 1st 1939” Tony cut across, and Stiles is before relieved and a little annoyed by the interruption he wants to get this over with as quickly as possible.

“Yeah, there was a Japanese internment camp in Beacon Hills, in fact the high school was built over it’s ruins almost two decades later for a brief time the camp was under the control of a man name called Garrett Douglas” He replies slowly, getting a little breathless, he was _shot_ a few hours ago.

“That’s not possible” Bucky stutters out, his eyes blown wide looking down at Stiles pleadingly what for? Stiles wasn’t sure, so he hesitantly asks.

“It was him; he was the one who implemented the winter solider programme. Who did this to me.” At this Bucky gestures to his metal arm downheartedly.

And Stiles _freezes_ , because he knows what this means, what it implies. He can’t help but start laughing hysterically, large heaving sobs leaving his mouth.

It’s a goddanm conspiracy.

And he didn’t even know.

“Stilinski, you good?” Clint asks, he just shakes his head in reply no he was not _good._ But now he knows he needs to tell the team everything, no glossing over anything to do with the supernatural and leaving things out to protect his friends, they need to know everything because admits he’s in way over his head right now.

“We have a lot more in common than I first thought up on that roof” He manages looking straight at Bucky, he can tell the others in the room are confused by his offhand comment but the super solider less so. If he’s smart enough he can guess where this is going.

“Douglas was also my history teacher junior year and I’m guessing he looked as young as he did in the 40’s” With that Stiles clues the avengers in on the existence of supernatural creatures, he leaves the pack out of it for now wanting to get back to the main topic of discussion quickly so they can leave him alone to get some rest. He’s so tired, he can’t take much more at the moment.

“My friend Kira’s mum was at the camp, she’s a kitsune, a fox spirit when she was there, she fell in love with a nurse -Reece that worked on the camp, it was a forbidden love, so they had to sneak around a lot. He would also sneak the residents more supplies, food and medication mostly until one day he wasn’t careful, and Douglas found out, so Reece was tortured and killed.”

A pause so he could take a sip of water from the glass on table beside his bed.

“Douglas knew that Noshikio and Reece were having an affair and he also knew that she was a Kitsune but  
was still surprised when upon finding out about her lover’s death Noshikio called out in her pain for the nogitsune, a trickster spirit who possessed Reece’s body. The nogitsune crave chaos and strife above all else, it was a slaughter. There were only three survivors, Douglas, Noshikio and a woman called Satomi, Douglas wanted to capture it to experiment and he succeeded for a while. The winter solider programme is most likely the result of those experiments but after a while Noshikio and Satomi worked together to take and trap the demon, they hid it deep within the preserve that surrounded the town where it remained trapped for 85 years”

Here Stiles took a deep breath, he had been talking for a while wanting to get it all out in one ago and he still hadn’t even gotten to the most relevant parts at this rate they would still be talking way into the night and the morning following. Boy he wishes he could be in Harry Potter so he could just take out his memories and show the team instead, that would be a hella lot quicker and easier.

Stiles took a deep breath; the next part was going to be the hardest.

“A few months before Allison’s accident I was driving my father was in trouble so I was rushing and because I was distracted I crashed right into the area where the nogitsune was hidden all those years ago and the spirit was released I didn’t know it at the time as I was unconscious on impact and when I woke there wasn’t anything to suggest anything was different” He pauses here, looking around the room to see if anyone had caught on to what he wasn’t saying yet, would save him the trouble of saying it out loud.

Everyone but Bucky seem clueless, so he carries on.

“The signs that something was wrong started showing up about a week later; small at first but then more and more accidents kept happening and it wasn’t until a week after that, that Noshikio told us the truth she had somehow found out that the trickster was free. For months we tried to figure out who the spirit was possessing, it was our friend Aiden who had figured it out and he was the first one of our group who the nogitsune killed. We weren’t at our best, Allison was hallucinating, Scott was having trouble controlling his shift and I was sleep walking, having trouble telling if I was awake or not, Derek couldn’t shift at all and Liam was having nightmares”

A deep intake of breath was heard, someone had worked it out.

“By the time we had worked it all out, a bomb was planted at the station and the forest was rigged with traps that released arrows when triggered right on the path where the lacrosse team ran every day. No one was seriously hurt at the station, but coach took an arrow to the chest and I was angry.”

Another gasp.

“Why were you angry, your father wasn’t hurt right?” That was from Scott, Stiles could tell without looking up from his entwined hands, the voice was quiet, hesitant in a way the others wouldn’t be.

“No, tata had been called away right before and I was angry because he was supposed to be dead, my plan had failed, the nogitsune’s plan had failed.”

Stiles was too scared to look up at the others, to see their reaction to his damaging admission, didn’t know if he would see rejection on the faces of those who were quickly becoming a secondary pack to him. _Family._

“It was about a month after that, that my friends had found a way to get the nogitsune out of me. The supernatural world like the everyday world has _rules_ you can be one thing or the other but not both, so Scottie bit me and it felt like I was being ripped apart.” Steve reaches out and pulls at Stiles’ hand which had curled into a fist, his fingernails digging into his palm. Wiping the blood of gently with a tissue he takes Stiles hand into his, clutching it firmly, protectively.

“The nogitsune might have been out of me but it still had my face, my body and no one knew what to do. Which one was really me? And which one was the nogitsune? In the confusion we didn’t notice when Lydia was gone but at least it answered the question of which Stiles that had been going on for the last half an hour. It took us three days to find her and whilst we were searching the nogitsune was only growing stronger and I was only growing weaker, it would have been a matter of hours before my body finally gave out.”

Steve’s hand holds on even tighter.

“There was a fight when we did and in the same spot where the nogitsune was first called by Noshikio it ran a sword right through Allison, and we trapped it again a second too late. After that we had to decide what to do, we couldn’t be found at scene but we also needed to call an ambulance for Ally so someone had to stay behind, they would obviously be treated as a suspect there wasn’t enough time to clean the scene. I argued it should be me, I was the least suspicious, the only son of a well liked and respected sheriff who everyone knew wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps. 147 pounds of pale skin and bones, Skinny defenceless Stiles who couldn’t hurt someone even if he tried”

“…”

“That sucks, you good for now?” Bucky asks, small smile gracing his lips and Stiles may love him just a little bit, he lets out a short laugh as the thinks back to the first time the super solider had said those words to him and nods his in reply and thanks, Bucky seems to understand this as his smile gets a tiny bit wider, more bright and genuine.

And just like that, they move on the information not forgotten but put aside until Stiles knows he’s ready to talk about.

“Okay, so our guess was right the hit on you was due to revenge” Sam pipes up, after a few minutes of silence, Stiles turns to him confused.

“What are you talking about? I thought that it was because I’m with Steve, that it was someone trying to get to him.” He begins to frown now, there would only be two people really who want revenge for what happen with Allison, Kate and Chris he can rule both of them out. Chris because he never blamed Stiles and after the accident, they had gotten close, Kate because of their history would stay her hand and also at that point she couldn’t care less about what happen to Allison, she saw her as a traitor to her family. It could be Gerard, but he was still stuck in a care home the last Stiles had checked and really, he probably would have killed Allison himself at some point.

“Yeah, we thought the same at first since we heard of the ambush through Hydra connections but then you said that you recognised the guy who shot you, so I did some digging, and found out he was Joseph Argent he was Allison uncle right?” Tony clarifies

Stiles nods to the last part but the rest of the information wasn’t connecting for him.

“That doesn’t make any sense, Joe and Ally never met she didn’t even know he existed, and Joe never cared for his family he was a product of an affair, so his father kept him a secret, so Joe resented him and his siblings”

None of what had happen today was making any sense to Stiles, when the avengers first came in he believed it was to tell him why Steve was back late and why Bucky and Tony thought it necessary to sneak into his apartment instead all the trauma of the nogitsune was brought back up.

“So, there wouldn’t be a reason for the man to want revenge.” Rhodey throws in from where he’s leaning against the door leading to the bathroom, which reminds Stiles of his dirty feet he really wants a shower now.

“But if the girl didn’t know her own uncle existed, how did you? The man carries on clueless to Stiles internal mourning of his lack of a shower.

“Kate, I don’t know how she found out but one day when I was waiting for Ally I saw him at the house and she told me the whole story, I met him briefly but we didn’t say much more than hi to each other” He explains distractedly, his mind still on having a nice hot shower.

“Okay, so maybe this Kate wanted revenge and is using her brother to do it” Thor speaks for the first time, Stiles almost misses what he says. He really _really_ wants a shower.

“Doubtful, the Argent family are a fucked up bunch and currently all want each other dead and plus before the whole finding out she was a Hydra we got along well even after the whole Ally situation, it doesn’t make any sense that she would wait that long if she did want me dead, we were alone plenty of times, she knew where I lived and had access to me at basically every time of day” He argues dispassionately, his true passion at the moment was having a shower, had Stiles mentioned how much he wanted a shower?

“Oh my god, you slept with her!” That takes Stiles attention fully from daydreaming about a long soak in a bubble bath (he switched it up, sue him.) and trust Tony to be the one to figure that out. Not that Stiles would admit that he did it was better for everyone involved that no one know what happen between him and Kate with exception of Derek, but he agreed that he wouldn’t tell anyone,

Steve removes his hand from Stiles’.

“Wait, you would have been underage at the time.” Bruce adds on, and yep Stiles needs to nip this in the but _now._

“Yes, I would have been if I actually slept with her but I didn’t so it’s a moot point, but she reminded me a lot of Ally, so I spent a lot of time with her and besides I also had a girlfriend at the time, of whom I loved very much” He finishes, hoping that would be enough to get them off the scent.

“If it wasn’t any of the Agents, than we have to work under the assumption that Joseph Argent being the one to shot you was just a coincidence and that it was hydra hit, meant to get at Rogers” Natasha summarises, the rest of the team is in agreement but too uneasy, due to the many holes and unanswered questions to be sure.

“Well we could just ask.” Stiles suggests, mind back on wanting to have a shower.

“And who would we ask?” Clint responds sceptical, having a really bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.

“Kate of course, who else?” Stiles states dreamily- the shower wouldn’t be too cold, but it wouldn’t be too hot either it would be just the right temperature…

“What the _FUCK_ Stilinski!”


End file.
